Browsing Member Content by Author "Thepe, Theodore, S. J."

Now showing item 667 of 778

Browsing Member Content by Author "Thepe, Theodore, S. J."

Now showing items 1-20 of 57

I See God's Face in Every Flower (video production of the complete lecture)

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 01: All creation came into being by means of God's creative word. St John tells us that "not one thing came into being but through Him." Further, God sustains all things in existence, for in Him all creation "lives and moves and has its being."

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 02: Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote that all the world is "charged with the grandeur of God."

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 03: To see creation as it truly is, we must learn to take a long, loving look at the real world about us, at all the simple beauty which we often overlook in our busy and crowded lives.

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 04: Comments of photography students expressed for many years "you opened my eyes to see things I've never seen before." I hope that I also opened their minds and hearts to see the loving hand of God in all things. The Grand Canyon is an example of loveliness and space beyond imagination.

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 05: The inanimate world is filled with a natural silence, yet speaks eloquently of God. St. Ignatius gazing at the heavens at night was ecstatic in prayer.

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 06: In our own way, we feel the enchantment of the sky, the mountains, (the ocean), ...

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 07: ... the quiet beauty of Yosemite in winter.

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 08: The animate world pulsates with God's beauty and majesty, from great Redwood trees (elephants) ...

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 09a: ... to the smallest bees and humming birds, ...

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 09b: ... the brilliant colors of a cool October day, ...

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 10: ... and the (almost) infinite varieties of shapes and forms and colors of flowers in our gardens.

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 11: Photography can easily lead to prayer. For Thomas Merton the camera was a contemplative instrument. He photographed some of the images of his contemplation while walking in nature.

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 12: The camera was a catalyst for his [Thomas Merton] prayer. I find it is the same for myself.

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 13: My heart skips a beat as I contemplate the beauty of both large and small objects in nature. Flowers, in particular, touch me in a way difficult to fully describe. I can best let them speak for themselves as I show some of them to you. They speak the language of the heart, a language instilled in them by our loving Creator. "Say it with flowers." We humans formulated that statement. But God said it first. God created these lovely creatures to tell us how much He loves us.

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 14: I would like to take you on a journey of lovely images and (prayer) as we contemplate the loveliness God has given to or shared with us. I plan to offer some prayer reflections with the slides and some times of silence for your own reflections, to meditate or pray as the Spirit moves you.

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 15: A teacher gave this assignment to her students: "Find an unnoticed flower around your home and study it. Note its petals - their shape and their color. Turn it (over) around and look at its (under) sides. As you do, remember this is your flower. It might have died unappreciated had you not found it and admired it."

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 16: Next day, after the students reported on their flowers, the teacher said: "Each one of us is like your flower. We are unique. But we often go unappreciated because no one takes the time to notice our unique beauty. Each of us is a masterpiece of God. There won't be another person like us - ever again." What is one special gift or unique talent with which God has blessed me?

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 17: Lord, open our eyes to see your hand at work in the splendor of creation, in the beauty of human life.

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)
Slide 18: Touched by your hand our world is holy. Help us to cherish the gifts that surround us and come to appreciate your eternal loveliness.

Thepe, Theodore, S. J. (Xavier University)

Now showing items 1-20 of 57

Now showing item 667 of 778